Spiritualis Laetitia, Contemplatio and Visio Dei. A first sight at the representations of dance, music and song in the Franciscan missal ms. Douce 313 of the Bodleian Library, Oxford

Abstract

In the Franciscan context, the spiritual dance of the saints and angels is understood as an expression of pure joy, leading to the vision and contemplation of God, with a strong eschatological connotation. With these characteristics, some choreomusical performances are represented in a unique way in a Franciscan missal preserved in the Bodleian Library in Oxford (ms. Douce 313) and produced around 1340-1360 by a follower of Jean Pucelle. Seen in sequence, the miniatures clearly depict the role of music and dance as vehicles for attaining divine vision and are presented as key elements of a discourse through images that reclaims the dance gesture as a preferred means of prayer and contemplation.